Guild Wars 2 'Shadow of the Mad King' Halloween update goes live

Yesterday, Act 1 of the "Shadow of the Mad King" Halloween update went live in Guild Wars 2 bringing players plenty of tricks and treats. With a simple patch download, Tyria was transformed for the week-long holiday with candy, costumes, decorations, and brand new events. From yesterday through November 1, the weeklong event will unfold in four acts, each introducing new content to explore and experience including dynamic events, holiday crafting recipes, new jumping puzzles, and much more.

Act 2 of the Halloween festivities will unlock on October 26. On October 31 (midday, Pacific time), ArenaNet has promised to celebrate the holiday pinnacle "with a bang" so be sure to log in around that time.

As for the update yesterday, there were plenty of changes beyond just transforming Tyria into a spook town. Check out the full patch notes below:

COMMERCE
Black Lion Chest Changes

Halloween items have been added to Black Lion Chests for a limited time only!

There is now a chance to get new Halloween-themed weapon skins by opening Black Lion Chests. All weapon skins are tradable.

Chain Sword Skin

Ghastly Grinning Shield Skin

Greatsaw Greatsword Skin

Grinning Gourd Rifle Skin

Scythe Staff Skin

Severed Dagger Skin

There is now a chance to get new Halloween-themed shoulder armor skins by opening Black Lion Chests. All shoulder armor skins are tradable.

Deathly Shoulderpads Skin

Deathly Avian Shoulderpads Skin

Deathly Bull Shoulderpads Skin

All Black Lion Chests have a chance to give these items, but only until the end of the Halloween events.

Get Black Lion Keys from the Consumable section of the Gem Store to open your Black Lion Chests.
New Items in the Gem Store

Halloween costumes are now available in the Gem Store! These costumes are on sale until November 6th.

The Witch’s Outfit can now be purchased in the Style section of the Gem Store for 700 gems. This set of town clothes comes with 4 Costume Brawl skills and 1 companion skill.

The Mad King’s Outfit can now be purchased in the Style section of the Gem Store for 700 gems. This set of town clothes comes with 4 Costume Brawl skills and 1 companion skill.

Spooky Tonics are now available in the Gem Store! Ghost, skeleton, and zombie tonics are all on sale until November 6th.

Each tonic turns you into a spooky creature for 1 hour.

While active, tonics give you access to Costume Brawl skills.

Tonics can be found in the Consumable section of the Gem Store for 35 gems apiece or 125 gems for a pack of 5.

A set of 3 spooky minis is now available in the Gem Store! This item is on sale until November 6th.

This set includes a ghost, skeleton, and spider miniature for 500 gems in the Minis section of the Gem Store.

These collector minis are account bound and cannot be traded.

The Devil Horns town clothes hat is now available for free in the Gem Store. This item is available until November 6th.

The Phantom’s Hood town clothes hat is now available for 200 gems in the Gem Store. This item is on sale until November 6th.

Personalized Trick-or-Treat Bags are now available in the Gem Store. These items are on sale until November 14th.

Moved all existing jumping puzzle achievements from the “Explorer” category to the “Jumping Puzzles” category.

Added 4 additional jumping puzzle achievements.

Added a new “Bosses” achievement category.

The “Crash Landing” achievement has been moved from the “Explorer” category to the “Bosses” category.

Added 7 new boss achievements.

MYSTIC FORGE
“The Mighty Zommoros has been caught failing to notice the generosity of those who grant him gifts. The Mighty Zommoros will now appropriately reward baubles to those who bring him offerings.”—The Mighty Zommoros

The Mystic Forge ingot-conversion recipes for bronze, copper, gold, and darksteel have been fixed to reward correct materials.

The Mystic Forge recipe for the Abyssal Scepter has been fixed to correctly award the Abyssal Scepter.

The Mystic Forge recipe for the Lidless Eye now requires 10 giant eyes.

The Mystic Forge recipe for Titans’ Vengance has been fixed to correctly award Titans’ Vengance.

The Mystic Forge recipe for the Wall of the Mists now requires 250 orichalcum shield bosses instead of powerful blood and 30 giant eyes instead of 1.

Zommoros has been reminded to give out baubles for less desirable (low-level) rare weapons.

Fixed a bug in the Mystic Forge conversion recipies for rare Glacial Ingredientsthat cause them to reward Charged Ingredients instead.

EVENTS
There is a skritt burglar on the loose in Tyria! Adventurers that encounter this thieving rodent are encouraged to confiscate whatever loot they can shake out of her.

Added over 30 events across the game.

Fixed a stuck event chain in Straits of Devastation.

Fixed a blocking bug in the event “Defend the Leaders of Caer Evermore from the Risen” in Timberline Falls.

Fixed a potential blocking bug caused by the event “Destroy the Risen broodmother to free Rakkan” in Cursed Shore.

Fixed a bug preventing Tactician Footi from setting up her cannon in Cursed Shore.

Fixed a bug preventing skritt from being driven out of Nentor’s Mine in Lornar’s Pass.

Lengthened the time between events when attempting to hold Arah and made repeated attempts at holding Arah more difficult.

Lengthened the time between events when attempting to hold the Temple of Grenth.

Lengthened the time between events when attempting to hold the Temple of Melandru and made repeated attempts at holding the Temple of Melandru more difficult.

WvW

Fixed an exploit that allowed players to occasionally teleport through walls.

Reduced the range at which players could interact with completed arrow carts.

The blue team’s start point on the green Borderlands has been changed to no longer remove allies from the area.

The Charr Land Mine is no longer usable in WvW areas.

PvP

Fixed bugs that allowed teleporting before a match starts.

Fixed bugs for getting into team bases in Legacy of the Foefire and Battle of Kyhlo.

Svanir has been updated to have slightly more health in Forest of Niflhel.

Paid tournaments will be available soon. To ensure the best experience possible, free tournaments will be used to make sure everything is working smoothly before bringing paid tournaments online. Thank you all for your patience.

GENERAL UPDATES
The Durmand Priory is currently investigating an ancient dwarven door recently unearthed in Dredgehaunt Cliffs. Meanwhile, strange reports of a caravan of shark tanks crossing the fields of Fireheart Rise are presumed to be a hoax.

Reduced amount of cinnamon dropped from nodes from 3,5 to 1,2. Cinnamon now only comes from green wood nodes.

Reduced amount of walnuts dropped from nodes from 3,5 to 1,2. Walnuts now only come from soft wood nodes.

Removed parsley and thyme from herb nodes in the Tarnished Coast and Steamspur Mountains.

Rune of the Noble (Superior): Updated drakehounds summoned by these runes to die after 60 seconds.

Rune of the Pack (Major and Superior): This upgrade’s on-hit effect now works properly.

STORY

The story step “Estate of Decay” has been updated to make door interaction more consistent.

The story step “Mightier than the Sword” has been fixed so that using the mesmer elite skill Moa Morph on Steag will not prevent progress.

The story step “The Battle of Fort Trinity” has been fixed to avoid a problem that could prevent progress in co-op mode. A problem that could prevent progress while defending the gate has been also been fixed.

The story step “The Blossom of Youth” has been fixed to avoid a problem where bypassing a section could prevent progress.

The story step “The Hatchery” has been fixed to avoid a problem that could prevent progress.

The story step “Trading Trickery” has been fixed to avoid a problem that could prevent progress.

DUNGEONS
Dungeons now award karma on completion. The first-time karma reward for completing the story of a dungeon is larger than subsequent story runs. The first time per day a player completes an explorable path for a dungeon, the karma reward equals (Player Level) * 23.5. For the rest of the day, subsequent runs of the same path will reward karma equal to (Player Level) * 9.5.

Ascalonian Catacombs

Fixed an area where players could get outside the map in the Flooded Temple.
Caudecus’s Manor

Gunpowder Morgan’s maximum range and damage have been updated.

Sorrow’s Embrace

Inquest Grenadiers have been reassigned to a new task; some new enemies await on the long road.

Kreutzerova will no longer prioritize a player at the dungeon entrance when first encountered.

Nokk’s Gravity Distortion now properly displays the time you are distorted.

Shukov’s golems now properly display during his event.

Shukov’s mark II golem has had its electric field updated to be a bit more dangerous now.

The lava in some areas is now behaving as lava should.

Twilight Arbor

The maximum range of Nightmare Vines has been increased.

PROFESSION

Reduced fear’s maximum stacks to 5 to prevent excessively long periods of time where players don’t have control of their character.

Updated the stability boon to stack duration up to 3 times.

Elementalist

Air Pocket: This skill no longer allows players to shadowstep out of water.

Cone of Cold: The healing gained from the this skill’s heal attribute has been increased from 480 to 780 at max level.

Earthquake: The responsiveness of skills used after this skill has been improved.

Fire Grab: This skill has had its attack angle increased.

Glyph of Renewal: This skill no longer resurrects dead allies; it only revives downed ones.

Lightning Touch: This skill has had its attack angle increased.

Magnetic Grasp: The responsiveness of skills used after this skill has been improved.

Ring of Earth: This skill now applies cripple.

Signets: All signets have been updated to function properly with the Earth Magic traits Written in Stone and Signet Mastery.

Downed State Updates

Discharge Lightning: This skill can now stack vulnerability up to 2 times.

Grasping Earth: This skill has been moved to skill 3 and given a 10 second recharge. Damage has been increased by 50%, and it bleeds enemies on every pulse. This skill can now be interrupted by other skills.

Vapor Form: This skill has been moved to skill 2, is instantly available upon being downed, and has a 20-second recharge.

Guardian

Leap of Faith: This skill’s functionality has been improved to make it more reliable.

Line of Warding: This skill is no longer able to move friendly NPCs around.

Protector’s Strike: This skill has had an exploit removed that caused it to block longer than intended.

Renewed Focus: This skill may now be used on the move.

“Save Yourselves!”: This skill has now been split between PvP and PvE. In PvE, players will notice no difference. In PvP, this skill’s boon duration has been changed to 5 seconds.

Shield of Absorption: This skill no longer blocks some friendly NPC missiles.

Symbol of Wrath: This skill’s attack has been improved by 10%.

Virtue of Courage: This skill has been updated to not apply aegis each time the user bobs in and out of water.

Thief

Assassin’s Signet: This skill has been updated to grant 15% damage for 5 attacks rather than 50% damage for one attack.

Basilisk Venom: This skill’s buff now applies for the appropriate duration of 30 seconds.

Disabling Shot: This skill can now be fired continuously at targets behind the player without the ability jumping them back toward the target. This skill now also has a cost when firing at targets behind the player.

Flanking Strike: This skill’s first attack is now unblockable.

Ink Shot: This skill no longer allows players to shadowstep out of water.

Nine-Tailed Strike: This skill has been fixed to properly provide the intended amount of initiative.

Shadow Refuge: This skill’s stealth removal tripwire has been updated to properly match the skill’s effects.

Whirling Axe: This skill has had evasion removed from the ability and has a missile-reflection effect applied to the whirl effect.

Mesmer

Arcane Thievery: This skill now appropriately removes the aegis boon rather than being blocked by it.

Confusing Images: This skill has been updated to fire at its correct distance.

Cry of Frustration: This skill’s tooltip now accurately shows that confusion it applies lasts for 3 seconds.

Mirror of Anguish: This trait no longer functions on necromancers when they have Reaper’s Protection active.

Phantasmal Warlock: This illusion’s recharge between attacks is now slightly longer.

Phase Retreat: This skill should no longer teleport players into geometry or other places they shouldn’t be getting into.

Scepter Skills: Projectile skills for the scepter have had their velocity increased by 33%.

Engineer

Elixir B: This skill’s toolbelt skill now accurately reflects only one boon being applied to allied targets.

Mine Field: This skill’s recharge has been reduced to 20 seconds.

Throw Mine: This skill is now unblockable when it detonates.

Warrior

Battle Standard: This skill no longer goes on full recharge if it’s interrupted while being activated.

Brutal Shot: This skill can now stack vulnerability up to 2 times.

Forceful Shot: This skill’s damage has been increased by about 70%, and its activation time has been increased.

Stomp: The responsiveness of skills used after this skill has been improved.

Tremor: This skill can now be activated while moving.

Necromancer

Corrupt Boon: This skill now properly removes aegis rather than being blocked by it.

Fetid Ground: This downed skill now has a Dark combo field. Its visual effects have been updated to show its actual radius.

Life Leech: This downed skill’s damage has been increased by 25%.

Spectral Walk: Removing this skill from a skill slot while it’s active will now remove all benefits gained from activating the ability.

Spinal Shivers: This skill now properly removes aegis rather than being blocked by it.

MAC BETA CLIENT

Fixed a bug that prevented players using Apple keyboard varieties other than US English from binding the key to the left of the “1” key in the Control Options panel.